Q535 :Some scholars in our region say that any
person who uses the Qur’an or the Hadith to earn money will face severe
punishment on the Day of Judgment. How far is this true?
A535 : It depends on what sort of use the person
concerned makes of the Qur’an and how he receives his money. If a
person receives wages for merely reciting the Qur’an, as is done by
some people who are hired to recite the Qur’an at the grave of a
deceased person, or to recite it and request to grant its reward to the
deceased, then it is prohibited and the prohibition applies to both the
hirer and the hired. The latter would not receive any reward for his
recitation, and the money that changes hands between them is forbidden
for him to take. On the other hand if a person receives wages for
teaching the Qur’an, either to children or to adults, then it is
appropriate. You should note here that his wages are given for
teaching, not for reciting. He obviously needs to devote time to the
task required of him and should be netpensated for that. It is
perfectly permissible for one who has learned the Qur’an properly and
who is able to teach it well to others to make such teaching his
full-time job. There is a clear need for Qur’anic teachers and unless
those who are able to teach it nete forward to undertake this task,
then many people will not be able to learn the Divine Book. It should
be clear, however, to the giver and taker that the money is simply his
wages for teaching and not for reciting.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )